Boiler construction



April 7, 1942. E. w. J0|3 5LEMON BbILER'coNsTRUcTIoN Filed Sept. 21.1959 2 Shets-Sheet 1' l i i I Patented Apr. 7, 1942 UNlTED ST- TESPATENT OFFICE BOILER CONSTRUCTION Earl W. Jorclemon, Rochester, N. Y.,assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a

corporation of Delaware 8 Claims.

This invention relates generally to boilers adapted for use in steam orhot water heating systems, and more particularly to improvements inboilers of the cast sectional type which are adapted for use with fluidfuel burners.

It is one of the principal objects of the invention to increase theefficiency of boilers of this type by certain improvements in theconstruction and arrangement of parts to provide a high rate of heatabsorption.

A further object is to provide a plurality of specially constructed andarranged heat absorbing projections or fins on opposed faces of theboiler sections for the absorption of heat from the flue gases.

A still further object is to provide a complete boiler unit of simpleand practical construction in which all parts are readily accessible forinspection, cleaning, or service.

With the foregoing and other objects which will appear as thedescription proceeds, my invention consists in certain novel features ofconstruction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be setforth in the following description of one embodiment of the inventionwhich is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is acentral longitudinal sectional view, with parts in elevation, of thecomplete boiler unit.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on line 2--2of Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view, parts in elevation, takensubstantially on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the intermediate boiler section.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view of the intermediateboiler section taken substantially on line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings, the present boiler has been shown forsimplicity as comprising only three hollow sections, namely, a frontsection 2, an intermediate section 4, and a rear section '6, but as willbe more fully set forth hereinafter, any number of similarly formedintermediate sections may be provided dependingupon the boiler capacitydesired.

Each boiler section is provided with laterally spaced dependingpedestals or supports 8 on which the boiler rests and with outstandinglugs I'll to receive tie bars [2 by which the sections may be securedtogether. As shown in Fig. 4, the sections are provided adjacent thebottom of the boiler at one side with aligned openings l4 and of theboiler sections and the pedestals or supports 8 at thebottom corneropposite the openings l4 formed to receive one of the tie bars l2.

The assembled sections of the boiler are preferably enclosed by a casingor'jacket 20 which is provided with a compartment to receive the fluidfuel burner unit 22 which is preferably, though not necessarily, of thepressure at-omizing type. This compartment also serves as a housing forthe usual burner and boiler controls and indicating instruments and isformed with removable front and side doors or panels, 24 and 26,respectively, to provide access for inspection or repair purposes.Suitable louvres 28 are also provided in this compartment, as shown inFig. 1, to permit the circulation of air through such compartment andsupply air to the fuel burner. The several boiler sections are so formedas to provide a water space which substantially surrounds or enclosesthe combustion chamber space. On .reference to Figs. 1, 4 and 5, it willbe seen that the intermediate :sectionl includes spaced front and rearwalls to form a water and steam space with depending side water legs 30which taper inwardly and are joined at their bottom by the curvedportion 32 to eliminate any sharp corners or pockets in which sedimentmight accumulate and :to provide a close fit for the refractorycombustion chamber or fire box 34 to be .described hereinafter. Thecombustion chamber space is defined by such side legs and curved bottomportion and the crown sheet 36 connecting the front and rear walls ofthe section. The crown sheet $35 :is inclined to the horizontal andextends diagonally upward between the side legs. It will also be notedfrom Fig. 1 that the front and rear'walls of the water or steam spaceabove the crown'sheet 36 diverge upwardly so that-such space graduallyincreases size to provide. to expansion of the heating .A suitabletransversely extending flue passage 38 is formed in the intermediatesection '4 about midway between the crown sheet '36 :and the 11pper wall.of such section and is prefierably offset to one side of the verticalcenter line thereof 'as is obvious from Figs. 4 and ;5. The bottom wallof the flue passage 38 is inclined and substantially parallel totheincl'ined crown ,sheet 36, and between such wall of the flue passageand the crown sheet, the front and rear walls of the section 4 areprovided with a series of tapered and streamlined heat absorbing finswhich are inclined in rows parallel to the incline of the crown sheetand bottom wall of the flue passage and staggered in vertical rows.

The fins 40 are formed as solid, tapered projections to facilitatecleaning and on reference to Fig. 1 it will be understood that such finsare adapted to oppose similar fins on the adjacent boiler sections withonly a relatively narrow space therebetween to thereby provide fluespaces between the sections for the movement of the gases from thecombustion chamber space to the flue passage through the sections, andsuch fins will cause the gases to follow tortuous paths and provide foran effective transmission of heat therefrom to the heating fluid withinthe sections.

Before describing the construction of the front and rear boilersections, it is desired to note that by reason of the divergence of thefront and rear walls of the intermediate section 4 and the inclinedarrangement of the walls of the front and rear sections which oppose thesame to thereby provide the vertically expanding water and steam spacein each section above the crown sheet 36, the flue spaces between thesections are correspondingly narrowed vertically to afford verticallycontracting flue paces for the combustion gases.

The inclined arrangement of the fins 40 below the flue passage throughthe sections tends to deflect the combustion gases towards the leftside, as viewed in Fig. 4, and a deflector or baffle plate 42 isprovided on the lower edges of the flue passage 38 on each wall of theintermediate section 4 to contact similar deflectors or bafile plates onthe adjacent walls of the front and rear sections to prevent the gasesfrom passing vertically directly to the flue passage from the combustionchamber space. To increase the heat absorption, circular, tapered fins44 are arranged in substantially horizontal rows in line with the fluepassage 38, and three depending fins 46 are also shown as provided inthe flue passage 38.

The front boiler section 2 is preferably formed with substantially therear half thereof similar to the rear half of the intermediate section4, and the rear boiler section 6 may be formed with its front halfsimilar to the front half of the intermediate section 4. In fact, it hasbeen found expedient to make a separable pattern for casting theintermediate section and then use the halves of such pattern for castingthe inner halves of the end sections.

As will be seen particularly from Fig. 1, the rear portion of the frontboiler section 2 is formed with the crown sheet portion 36, the sets offins 40, 44 and 46, and flue passage 38 with the deflector or baffleplate 42, all of which are similar to corresponding parts of the rearhalf of the intermediate section 4. The rear portion of the section 2may also be said to include the depending water legs 30 joined by thecurved bottom portion 32, but the front portion of section 2 is formedwith a front vertical wall 48 with side walls which are so formed and'joined with the rear portion of this section as to provide a fronthollow water and steam space communicating directly with the water legsand curved bottom portion. This space is continuous throughout thevertical extent of this section except for the open' ing 50 which isprovided to receive the burner tube 52 of the fuel burner unit 22 whichmay be secured to the front boiler section 2 and sup:

ported thereon by means such as the bracket 54 secured to the burnertube as by bolts 56 and to the section 2 'as by bolts 58. As will benoted, the opening 50 in section 2 is considerably larger than thediameter of the burner tube 52 to permit the insertion through thisopening of the several parts which make up the combustion chamber orfire box 34. The flue passage 38 does not extend through the section 2but terminates therein with the end wall 60, and the vertical front wall48 of this section is formed as shown with several openings to providefor the connection of the usual gauges and controls.

As will also be apparent from Fig. 1, the front portion of the rearboiler section 6 is formed with the crown sheet portion 36, the sets offins 40, 44 and 46, and flue passage 38 with the deflector or baffleplate 42, all of which are similar to corresponding parts of the fronthalf of the intermediate section 4. The front portion of the section 6may also be said to include depending water legs 30 joined by the curvedbottom portion 32, but the rear portion of such section is formed with arear vertical wall 62 and side walls which are so formed and joined withthe front portion as to provide a rear hollow water and steam spacecommunicating directly with the water legs and curved bottom portion.This hollow water and steam space is continuous throughout the verticalextent of the section 6 except for the extension of the flue passage 38through the same and the relief passage 64 therethrough. The usual smokepipe to carry away the products of combustion is adapted to be connectedto the flue passage 38 by means such as the smoke ring 66 secured to therear section 6 as by bolts 68. The relief passage 64 is provided on therear wall of the section 6 with the hinged relief door 10 to relievesuddenly accumulating pressures in the combustion space and this door 10may be provided with a centrally located inspection opening which isnormally closed by a glass cover or a pivoted cover plate 12 to permitinspection of the combustion conditions without opening the largerrelief door for this purpose. The rear section 6 may also be providedwith a suitable opening to receive the usual steam pressure relief valve14.

As noted heretofore, the several boiler sections are adapted to beassembled, as will be apparent from Fig. 1, so that all of the heatabsorbing fins 40 and 44 on the adjacent walls of the sections will beopposed with only a relatively narrow space between the opposed ends ofsuch fins, and the opposed deflectors or baffle plates 42 willsubstantially contact one another. To close the combustion and fluespaces the adjacent walls of the sections are provided with machinedflanges 16 which extend almost entirely around the sections and whichare adapted to contact one another with a suitable sealing means 78 atsuch joints.

On reference to Fig. 4 it will be seen that such flanges 16 arediscontinued at one side of each section in horizontal alinement withthe heat absorbing fins 40 and 44 and flue passage 38 to providecleanout openings 80 between the sections. Such openings may be normallyclosed by means such as cleanout doors indicated at 82 in Fig. 3, whichwhen removed permit the insertion of a brush or other means to removeany soot or dirt from the fins and flue passage.

The combustion chamber or fire box 34 within the combustion space may beof any suitable shape but is preferably formed as shown in Fig. l

as generally cylindrical with a front conical end 84 having an openingto receive the burner tube 52 and with the rear end substantially closedby the target portion 86 which may be formed with an X or cross-shapedOpening 88 to permit egress of the products of combustion or combustiongases. Although this chamber may be of any desired material it is shownas being made of refractory material which is molded or preformed intosections of the desired shape and dimensions which may be inserted intothe boiler through the opening after assembly of the boiler sections andthen cemented together. As indicated by the irregular line 90, both theconical, cylindrical and target portions may conveniently be preformedin upper and lower halves to permit the insertion thereof through theopening '50 which is shown as being of smaller diameter than theassembled combustion chamber. It will be noted that the combustionchamber or fire box 3 5 does not occupy all of the combustion space ofthe boiler but provides a space outside of the chamber to allow thecombustion gases to expand and equalize before passing upwardly to theflues between the several boiler sections.

As will be obvious, although the boiler has been shown for simplicity ashaving only a single intermediate section a, any number of similarlyformed intermediate sections may be employed depending upon the boilercapacity desired, with no change whatsoever in the size or constructionof the front and rear boiler sections but merely a change in the size orlength of the combustion chamber 3 5 and the external casing or jacket20. The steam outlet pipe 92 has been shown as connected to theintermediate section 4 and when more than one intermediate section isemployed, separate steam outlet pipes may be readily provided ifdesired, or only a single outlet on one of the intermediate sections.

It will be apparent that the relative location of the aligned openingsand nipples for circulation of fluid throughout the boiler sections atthe opposite corners, as shown particularly in Fig. 4, promotes adiagonal circulation within the upwardly diverging space in each sectionto provide a greater scrubbing action and increased heat absorption thanif the flow were more or less localized between vertically alignedopenings. Each section is shown as provided with internal strengtheningwebs as between the spaced front and rear walls and some of such websmay be angularly arranged as shown in Fig. 5 to act as guides for thediagonal flow of fluid.

The upwardly inclined crown sheet 38 presents a greater area to theproducts of combustion or flue gases than if such sheet were horizontal.The gases move upwardly in the converging spaces between the sectionsand the major portion of such gases are diagonally deflected by theinclined rows of heat absorbing fins and are prevented from beingshort-circuited or passing directly to the longitudinal flue passagethrough the sections by the deflectors or baffle lates 42.

It will also be apparent that the particular arrangement of the heatabsorbing fins and the streamlined and tapered shape of such fins notonly affords an exceedingly eifective heat absorption but also preventsany appreciable soot formation and facilitates the cleaning of the finsthrough the cleanout doors in the side of the boiler which also permitthe ready cleaning of the flue passage through the sections.

Many advantages of the several novel features of my invention inaddition to those mentioned above will be apparent to those skilled inthe art, and While only a single embodiment of my invention has beenshown and described herein, it will be understood that many changes andmodifications may be made in the detailed construction and arrangementof parts within the scope of my invention as defined in the followingclaims.

I claim:

1. A sectional boiler having a series of upright hollow sections, saidsections being formed to provide a combustion space adjacent their lowerends and a longitudinally extending flue passage adjacent their upperends, a plurality of opposed heat absorbing fins on the opposed faces ofsaid sections between said combustion space and said flue passage, eachof said fins having its major axis transversely inclined with said finsarranged in diagonally extending rows to deflect combustion gasestowards one side of the boiler and the .opposed faces of said sectionsbeing spaced :at one side of the boiler to provide openings for accessto said fins.

2. A sectional boiler having a series of upright hollow sections, saidsections being formed to provide a combustion space adjacent their lowerends and a longitudinally extending flue passage adjacent their upperends, said flue passage being oflset to one side of the vertical centerline of said sections, and means on the opposed faces of said sectionsbetween said combustion space and said flue passage adapted topermit agenerally upward movement of the combustion gases and deflect the majorportion of the combustion gases diagonally towards the opposite side ofsaid sections.

3. A sectional boiler having a series of upright hollow sections, saidsections being formed at their lower ends to provide a combustion spaceand at their upper ends to provide a longitudinally extending fluepassage, said combustion space and flue passage being vertically spacedand said sections being formed with vertically extending opposed facesbetween said combustion space and said flue passage and a plurality ofheat absorbing fins on said opposed faces of said sections, said finsbeing transversely tapered to deflect combustion gases towards one sideof said boiler.

4. A sectional boiler having a series of upright hollow sections, saidsections being formed at their lower ends to provide a combustion spaceand at their upper ends to provide a longitudinally extending fluepassage, said combustion space and flue passage being vertically spacedand said sections being formed with vertically extending opposed facesbetween said combustion space and said flue passage and a plurality ofheat absorbing fins on said opposed faces of said sections, said finsbeing transversely tapered and arranged in horizontally inclinedtransverse rows to deflect combustion gases laterally during travel fromsaid combustion space to said flue passage.

5. A sectional boiler having a series of upright hollow sections, saidsections being formed at their lower ends to provide a combustion spacehaving a transversely inclined crown sheet, a longitudinally extendingflue passage adjacent the upper ends of said sections, and a pluralityof opposed heat absorbing fins on the opposed faces of said sectionsbetween said crown sheet and said flue passage, said fins being soformedas to deflect combustion gases towards one side of the boiler andarranged in inclined rows which are substantially parallel to said crownsheet.

6. A sectional boiler having a series of upright hollow sections, saidsections being formed at their lower ends to provide a combustion spacehaving a transversely inclined crown sheet, a longitudinally extendingflue passage adjacent the upper ends of said sections, said flue passageextending through said sections with the bottom of said flue passagetransversely inclined and substantially parallel to said crown sheet,and a plurality of opposed heat absorbing fins on the opposed faces ofsaid sections between said crown sheet and said flue passage, said finsbeing so formed as to deflect combustion gases towards one side of theboiler and arranged in rows which are substantially parallel to saidcrown sheet and the bottom of said flue passage.

'7. A sectional boiler having a series of upright hollow sections, saidsections being formed at their lower ends to provide a combustion spacehaving a transversely inclined crown sheet, a longitudinally extendingflue passage adjacent the upper ends of said sections, a plurality ofopposed heat absorbing fins on the opposed faces of said sectionsbetween said crown sheet and said flue passage, said fins being soformed as to deflect combustion gases towards one side of the boiler andarranged in inclined rows which are substantially parallel to said crownsheet, and a plurality of opposed heat absorbing fins on the opposedfaces of said sections in horizontal alinement with said flue passageand arranged in substantially horizontal rows.

8. A sectional boiler having a series of upright hollow sections, saidsections being formed to provide a combustion space adjacent their lowerends and a longitudinally extending flue passage adjacent their upperends, and a plurality of opposed heat absorbing fins on the opposedfaces of said sections between said combustion space and said fluepassage, each of said fins having its major axis transversely inclinedwith said fins arranged in diagonally extending rows to deflectcombustion gases towards one side of the boiler.

EARL W. JOROLEMON.

